Staying Together
by Fiona55
Summary: What does it take for a team to stay together? When problems plague team members, can they support each other through it?
1. Chapter 1

Staying Together

By: Fiona55

Summary: What does it take for a team to stay together? When problems plague team members, can they support each other through it?

Derek Morgan held a full four cup cardboard container in one hand and another in the other hand. He was thankful for pockets today, more so than usual. He was also thankful that Starbucks was just around the corner. The coffee machine was broken.

When he reached the BAU, he stopped first at his desk, setting down his own coffee cup, marked with a D, and then reached across the divider to set the cup marked with an E on Prentiss's desk. Walking around the desk, he deposited the one marked with an S onto the appropriate desk, and then headed up the stairs.

The first office belonged to Hotch. He rapped on the door twice before a quiet "come in" was sounded.

"Hey, Hotch. Here's your coffee."

"Did you-" Hotch began to ask before Derek interrupted him.

"Yes, I marked each one so that you wouldn't accidentally get Reid's again."

"Thank you."

The next office belonged to Rossi.

"My coffee! You know, I survived on this stuff in college."

"Yeah, I think we all did."

J.J. was not in her office, so he went next to Garcia's office.

Inside, J.J. and Garcia stood over the main computer monitor, laughing at a photo.

"You mean…he looked like that in the eighties? An afro?" J.J. asked incredulously.

"Yes! I found it when I was helping him organize, which, by the way, was unsuccessful."

"No, it was successful if you found this!"

"My poor chocolate thunder!"

"Are you guys talking about me?" Derek asked from the doorway.

"You know, I'm just going to take my coffee and go. Thanks Morgan." J.J. said, scurrying out of the room, grabbing the cup marked with a J in the process.

"Garcia…" Derek began, handing her her coffee. "What picture is that?"

"Um…the one I found in your desk drawer…it's marked as being from 1984…"

"You little…" Derek's cell phone cut him off. He pulled it out of his pocket and answered it.

"Hello, it's Heidi. We've got someone needing you to sign something. I can't get clearance, the computer is down. Do you mind?" The bottom floor secretary asked.

"Nope, I'll be down in a minute."

"Thanks."

"I've got to run downstairs. I'll be back."

O.O

Once Derek got downstairs, he was greeted by a man in a suit.

"Derek Morgan?"

"That's me."

"You've been served."

"Okay…"

O.O

"Hotch!" Derek yelled when he opened the door to his boss's office.

"What's wrong?"

"Someone has filed a paternity suit on me!"

"What?"

"I was just served."

"Are you sure it's not…possible?"

"Of course I'm sure! I've never even met this woman!"

"Derek, I know you may not remember her but are you sure…"

"Hotch, I'm not a man whore. I'm also not a father."

Hello, love balls! I'm baaaaackkkkkkkk. Review please!

Ciao!

Fiona


	2. Chapter 2

Staying Together

By: Fiona55

Summary: What does it take for a team to stay together? When problems plague team members, can they support each other through it?

"My best advice is to just take the paternity test. No one else will have to know about it. What you don't want is them taking you to court."

"I know."

"Now, we've got a case that we've got to work, but it's one where we can stay here. Call and make the appointment."

"Okay."

"Be back in the bullpen in fifteen minutes."

O.O

"Okay, super friends, Jesse Cooper, age fifty two was murdered on Saturday. As you can see in the photo, he was holding a rosary in one hand and a crucifix in the other."

"Catholic. This has something to do with the Catholic religion." Emily said.

"Possibly, but what was the cause of death?" Rossi asked.

"That's where it gets a bit confusing. The cause of death was blood loss, but he had both wrists slashed and his neck cut. It could have been from any of the three sources."

"Actually, considering that he would have died almost immediately from the cut neck, his neck was cut last and the wrists first." Reid added.

"Another thing, um, Mr. Cooper had just been diagnosed with state four prostate cancer."

O.O

"Morgan?" Hotch murmured when they left the bullpen.

"Yeah?"

"Did you call?"

"I've got to go up there today."

"Go now."

O.O

"Hotch!"

"Yes, Garcia?"

"Another person has been murdered in the same fashion, holding a rosary and a crucifix with cut wrists and a cut neck."

"Just a moment." Hotch tapped out a quick mass text to the team, except Morgan. He'd fill him in when he got back. Minutes later, the team appeared one by one at the door. When they were all there, he let Garcia continue.

"Deloris Jackson, age seventy seven was found this morning in her home. Her neck and wrists had been cut. She was found holding a rosary and a crucifix."

"Same M.O…" J.J. murmured, thinking aloud.

"Right. Another thing, she had emphysema. She was going to die within the next few months."

O.O

"Hey, Hotch?" Garcia asked when everyone was leaving his office.

"Yes?"

"Where's Morgan?"

"He had some personal business to tend to. I'll fill him in when he gets back. Thanks Garcia."

O.O

"What's going on?" Garcia asked when she finally reached Derek on his cell.

"What do you mean?"

"You weren't here when we found out we had another victim. Hotch said you were taking care of personal stuff. I tried calling you four times before you answered."

"Garcia, listen, there's been some accusations made against me. Hotch knows only because I needed some legal advice. You really don't need to be concerned with it."

"But I am, Derek."

"Alright, but don't you dare say anything to anyone else about this."

"I won't."

"A woman, who I don't know, has come forward saying that I am the father of her unborn child. She's filed a paternity suit against me."

"But…"

"I know."

"Are you sure…"

"I'm sure."

"Is everything going to be okay?"

"Yeah, I think so."

O.O

"Derek Morgan?"

"Yes?"

"We've got the results of the paternity test."

"Okay?"

"It's…"

IS DEREK THE FATHER? WHO'S KILLING THE SICK PEOPLE? CAN THE TEAM CATCH THE UNSUB? FIND OUT NEXT TIME ON "STAYING TOGETHER!"

Okay, in all seriousness, I'm a genius case creator. Kind of scary, isn't it? Anyway, I love it when you guys review. It's makes me happy. I also need sleep. Bye bye kitties!

Ciao!

Fiona


	3. Chapter 3

Staying Together

By: Fiona55

Summary: What does it take for a team to stay together? When problems plague team members, can they support each other through it?

"I think I know what the UNSUB is doing." Spencer said from across the room. Hotch turned and walked over to the young man's desk. Rossi's attention was on Reid, as was J.J.'s and Prentiss's. Derek was not in the office.

"Okay?"

"I think our UNSUB is a doctor. He's Catholic, too. The M.E. said that the wrist wounds were repeatedly re-opened. I think he was trying to cure them with blood- letting."

"Blood-letting?" J.J. asked, unsure of what it was.

"Yeah, it's one of the oldest medical practices, um, the Mesopotamian's used it. Of course, they only withdrew small quantities of blood, while this person is taking it too far and not allowing time for a cure, which wouldn't have happened anyway." Reid rambled, but the team was, of course, used to this by now.

"If it's so old, and if he's a doctor, then why is he even practicing it?" Rossi asked.

"Oh, um…he may, actually, not even be a doctor. Yes, that's it! He wanted to be, but he's not."

"So you think he flunked out of medical school?" Emily asked.

"Probably, most likely within the last few months or so."

Hotch's fingers moved swiftly across his iPhone, and soon the sounds of ringing filled the room.

"You've reached your resident technical genius. What can I do for you?" Garcia asked.

"Cross reference all recent medical school flunk-outs with members of the Catholic church."

"How recent?"

"Three months at the latest"

"I've got four."

"How many of them are men?"

"Three."

"Between the ages of 35 and 50?" Reid asked.

"One. Horace Jenkins."

"Send me everything you've got on him."

"Already done. Garcia out!"

O.O

"I'm not the father!" Derek yelled to his superior when he walked through the doors of the office.

"So the test was negative?"

"Yes, it was."

O.O

"Sherriff Coleman? Horace Jenkins is the guy we've been looking for." Emily said with empathy in her voice. She knew that Horace was the Sherriff's stepbrother.

"Horace? Impossible."

"I'm afraid we've got everything we need to arrest him."

"I can't do it."

"We can take care of that for you, sir."

O.O

"I want to talk to my brother." Horace Jenkins asked somberly when he was brought into the police station.

"No, we need to talk first. Why did you kill Jesse Cooper and Deloris Jackson?" Rossi asked, slamming the case file down on the table in front of the UNSUB.

"I didn't! They were sick! I tried to save them!"

"Blood-letting is not used anymore. It doesn't work, and anyway, you did it improperly." Reid said.

"I did too! They had thin blood!"

"No, no, you re-opened the wounds on their wrists several times. You knew what you were doing."

"I was saving them!"

"You KILLED them."

"I want to speak with my brother!"

O.O

"Horace, how could you?" Sherriff Coleman asked.

"I didn't do anything!"

"But you did. I saw the file. You killed two innocent people!"

"I didn't mean to!"

**HAPPY ENDING! YAY! Well, except for the people who died…that sucks. I may do a follow up to this sometime. 3**

**Ciao!**

**Fiona**


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